


Uppies

by mutedtempest



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 15:24:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16266968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutedtempest/pseuds/mutedtempest
Summary: Lotor sees a young boy crying on the new Altean colony, and is powerless to prevent anything that happens.





	Uppies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sachianna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sachianna/gifts).



> This is sappy and ridiculous and is once again inspired by the beautiful people of the Lotura discord, who were discussing Lotor being touch starved. As someone who suffers from that affliction, I decided to explore it in a hopefully cute and optimistic way.

It had been some time since he'd been able to visit. Keeping the colony a secret meant extended absences, and unfortunately many of the people he'd grown close to passed between his visits. It was something Lotor despised, but there was truly no way around it if he wanted to keep them safe.

And oh, how he did. The work was progressing as quickly as he could possibly make it, though not nearly quickly enough to satisfy him. He wanted New Altea _safe,_ and immediately. But it could not be, and so he was very careful to plan his visits and research there as silently as he could. 

The joy he felt when he stepped off the cruiser - alone, the sentries ordered to remain until called for - and was met with a large throng of smiling faces immediately was immense. He nodded as best he could to the adults, grinning as the smaller children swarmed him to attach to his legs. There were multiple pleas for a ride, and how could he deny them? 

"I shall return shortly," he assured the parents in the crowd, most of the children clinging to his legs and waist groaning in disappointment. But the last thing he wanted was to overexert them...

He'd turned, taking exaggerated steps to make them laugh, when he spotted the shock of light blue hair and the tear-stained face of a rather small boy off to one side. Lotor immediately turned to walk toward the child, but the others did not seem pleased.

"Not Pacibus," a girl hanging onto his belt insisted. "He always cries and gets scared of everything!"

"Hmm," Lotor replied, before putting both hands around his mouth to amplify the sound of his voice before calling to him. "Pacibus! Wait here for just a short while, and when I return I shall take you." The boy's mother smiled and waved, and Lotor could see that his face was now excited rather than sad. It made him happy. 

He always enjoyed his time with the children, but as they were small, he made sure to return before long. They let go of him reluctantly, begging him to come back soon to give them more rides. He assured them as best he could, and then turned toward Pacibus, who was sitting on a bench with his mother under a beautiful tree to wait. Lotor crouched down until he was eye level with the boy, who couldn't have been more than a few decaphoebes old at most. 

"Forgive me for the wait, Sire. I am happy to take you wherever you may wish to go." 

He shared a smile with Pacibus' mother when the boy extended his arms excitedly in the universal toddler gesture of "up, please." Lotor put a hand to his chest and bowed. "As your steed you are welcome to choose where you would like to sit, Pacibus. Would you like me to carry you?"

The boy shook his head rather vehemently and replied only, "Uppies!"

"I'm sorry," his mother said. "His father likes to put him on his shoulders and walk around with him. I believe that's what he's asking for, but you needn't feel obligated -"

"Not at all. Please do not worry; I will make sure he's safe. We will not go far." At her grateful nod, he turned back to the boy. "Are you ready, Sire?"

Pacibus laughed and nodded, and Lotor slowly rose to his feet, arranging the child on his shoulders with small legs hanging down his chest. Pacibus seemed a bit afraid as he grabbed Lotor's hair and huddled close. "Very high!" he said in a whisper. 

"It's all right," Lotor assured softly. "I will not let you fall, Pacibus. I promise you are safe." He began to walk slowly, and after several moments the boy's grip lessened a bit and Lotor heard some quiet laughter. 

"Can we go fast?"

Lotor laughed, patting the boy's leg as he increased his pace to an easy loping jog. Pacibus seemed delighted and Lotor loved it nearly as much. 

When they returned, the boy was obviously sleepy, but his happy exclamations about his new very high friend were nearly nonstop. Lotor gently brought him down from his shoulders and made to hand him back to his mother when Pacibus hugged him and refused to let go.

"I want you to stay," he said through quiet tears, holding tightly to Lotor's neck. "I love you!"

The boy's mother looked terribly embarrassed, but Lotor only smiled as he hugged Pacibus in return, holding him easily. "And I you," he assured. "I am so sorry I cannot stay to play with you, but I shall return. When I do, you shall be the first I contact." Pacibus still refused to let go, and on impulse Lotor removed one of his gloves, a very expensive and nicely made thing. "I have a very special mission for you, Pacibus. I need to have someone hold onto this glove for me until I return. Can you do that for me, and be good for your mother and father?"

Pacibus nodded against him and raised his head to look at the glove. He looked at Lotor with wide eyes. 

"I can do that!" 

He said it so confidently that Lotor was unable to help himself, and kissed his forehead. Pacibus kissed his cheek and was happy enough to be handed back to his mother, and the both of them waved happily as Lotor set back for his ship to prepare the journey to the research station.


End file.
